Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy logoLink to Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy
. 1976 Jul;10(1):112–118. doi: 10.1128/aac.10.1.112

Susceptibility Testing of Anaerobic Bacteria with 100-μg Carbenicillin Disks

W W Laslie 1,1, D W Lambe Jr 1
PMCID: PMC429698  PMID: 984743

Abstract

A total of 245 strains of anaerobic bacteria were examined for their susceptibility to carbenicillin by the disk test method and by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determinations. Standard-curve studies with a strain of Bacteroides fragilis subsp. fragilis that was minimally susceptible to carbenicillin and Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) demonstrated that a disk containing 100 μg of carbenicillin was suitable for testing susceptibility of anaerobes to carbenicillin. Thus, the diameter of zones around the 100-μg carbenicillin disks and MIC values were determined under the following test conditions: Mueller-Hinton agar supplemented with sheep blood, vitamin K1, and hemin; an incubation temperature of 35 C; and an atmosphere of 80% N2, 10% H2, and 10% CO2. The strains were separated into two populations by correlating zone diameters and geometric mean MICs. The disk test more clearly separated the resistant and susceptible populations and was more reproducible than the MIC test. Thus, a statistical analysis based on the distribution of zone diameters of susceptible and resistant strains was used to derive an interpretive scheme for anaerobic bacteria tested with 100-μg carbenicillin disks. The following interpretive scheme is recommended for testing anaerobes with 100-μg disks of carbenicillin: resistant, 8 mm or less; indeterminate, 9 to 12 mm; and susceptible, 13 mm or greater.

Full text

PDF
112

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bauer A. W., Kirby W. M., Sherris J. C., Turck M. Antibiotic susceptibility testing by a standardized single disk method. Am J Clin Pathol. 1966 Apr;45(4):493–496. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bennett J. V., Camp H. M., Eickhoff T. C. Rapid sulfonamide disc sensitivity test for meningococci. Appl Microbiol. 1968 Jul;16(7):1056–1060. doi: 10.1128/am.16.7.1056-1060.1968. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blazevic D. J., Matsen J. M. Susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria to carbenicillin. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1974 May;5(5):462–465. doi: 10.1128/aac.5.5.462. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bodner S. J., Koenig M. G., Goodman J. S. Bacteremic Bacteroides infections. Ann Intern Med. 1970 Oct;73(4):537–544. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-73-4-537. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Bodner S. J., Koenig M. G., Treanor L. L., Goodman J. S. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of Bacteroides. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1972 Aug;2(2):57–60. doi: 10.1128/aac.2.2.57. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Carey W. D., Brotman M. Clindamycin colitis--an emerging problem. West J Med. 1974 Dec;121(6):504–507. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cohen L. E., McNeill C. J., Wells R. F. Clindamycin-associated colitis. JAMA. 1973 Mar 19;223(12):1379–1380. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Danielsson D., Lambe D. W., Jr, Persson S. The immune response in a patient to an infection with Bacteroides fragilis ss. fragilis and Clostridium difficile. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand B Microbiol Immunol. 1972;80(5):709–712. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1972.tb00198.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Douglas R. L., Kislak J. W. Treatment of Bacteroides fragilis bacteremia with clindamycin. J Infect Dis. 1973 Oct;128(4):569–571. doi: 10.1093/infdis/128.4.569. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. ERSLEV A. J., WINTROBE M. M. Detection and prevention of drug-induced blood dyscrasias. JAMA. 1962 Jul 14;181:114–119. doi: 10.1001/jama.1962.03050280044005e. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gorbach S. L., Bartlett J. G. Anaerobic infections. 1. N Engl J Med. 1974 May 23;290(21):1177–1184. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197405232902106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Ingham H. R., Selkon J. B., Codd A. A., Hale J. H. The effect of carbon dioxide on the sensitivity of Bacteroides fragilis to certain antibiotics in vitro. J Clin Pathol. 1970 Apr;23(3):254–258. doi: 10.1136/jcp.23.3.254. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kislak J. W. The susceptibility of Bacteroides fragilis to 24 antibiotics. J Infect Dis. 1972 Mar;125(3):295–299. doi: 10.1093/infdis/125.3.295. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Kwok Y. Y., Tally F. P., Sutter V. L., Finegold S. M. Disk susceptibility testing of slow-growing anaerobic bacteria. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1975 Jan;7(1):1–7. doi: 10.1128/aac.7.1.1. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lambe D. W., Jr, Danielsson D., Vroon D. H., Carver R. K. Immune responses in eight patients infected with Bacteroides fragilis. J Infect Dis. 1975 May;131(5):499–508. doi: 10.1093/infdis/131.5.499. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Marcoux J. A., Zabransky R. J., Washington J. A., 2nd, Wellman W. E., Martin W. J. Bacteroides bacteremia. Minn Med. 1970 Nov;53(11):1169–1176. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Martin W. J., Gardner M., Washington J. A., 2nd In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria isolated from clinical specimens. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1972 Feb;1(2):148–158. doi: 10.1128/aac.1.2.148. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Matsen J. M., Lund M. E., Brooker D. C. Comparison and evaluation of carbenicillin disks in diffusion susceptibility testing. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1974 Jun;5(6):599–606. doi: 10.1128/aac.5.6.599. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Meny R., Webb C. D., Fiedelman W. Carbenicillin therapy of anaerobic infections. Curr Ther Res Clin Exp. 1975 May;17(5):478–487. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Metzler C. M., DeHaan R. M. Susceptibility tests of anaerobic bacteria: statistical and clinical considerations. J Infect Dis. 1974 Dec;130(6):588–594. doi: 10.1093/infdis/130.6.588. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Nobles E. R., Jr Bacteroides infections. Ann Surg. 1973 May;177(5):601–606. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Overman S., Lambe D. W., Jr, Bennett J. V. Proposed standardized method for testing and interpreting susceptibility of Bacteroides fragilis to tetracycline. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1974 Apr;5(4):357–361. doi: 10.1128/aac.5.4.357. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Rotheram E. B., Jr, Schick S. F. Nonclostridial anaerobic bacteria in septic abortion. Am J Med. 1969 Jan;46(1):80–89. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(69)90060-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. SMILEY R. K., CARTWRIGHT G. E., WINTROBE M. M. Fatal aplastic anemia following chloramphenicol (chloromycetin) administration. J Am Med Assoc. 1952 Jul 5;149(10):914–918. doi: 10.1001/jama.1952.02930270008003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Sapico F. L., Kwok Y. Y., Sutter V. L., Finegold S. M. Standardized antimicrobial disc susceptibility testing of anaerobic bacteria: in vitro susceptibility of Clostridium perfringens to nine antibiotics. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1972 Oct;2(4):320–325. doi: 10.1128/aac.2.4.320. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Stroehlein J. R., Sedlack R. E., Hoffman H. N., 2nd, Newcomer A. D. Clindamycin-associated colitis. Mayo Clin Proc. 1974 Apr;49(4):240–243. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Sutter V. L., Finegold S. M. Susceptibility of Anaerobic bacteria to carbenicillin, cefoxitin, and related drugs. J Infect Dis. 1975 Apr;131(4):417–422. doi: 10.1093/infdis/131.4.417. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Sutter V. L., Kwok Y. Y., Finegold S. M. Standardized antimicrobial disc susceptibility testing of anaerobic bacteria. I. Susceptibility of Bacteroides fragilis to tetracycline. Appl Microbiol. 1972 Feb;23(2):268–275. doi: 10.1128/am.23.2.268-275.1972. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Sutter V. L., Kwok Y., Finegold S. M. Susceptibility of Bacteroides fragilis to six antibiotics determined by standardized antimicrobial disc susceptibility testing. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1973 Feb;3(2):188–193. doi: 10.1128/aac.3.2.188. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. TYNES B. S., FROMMEYER W. B., Jr Bacteroides septicemia. Cultural, clinical, and therapeutic features in a series of twenty-five patients. Ann Intern Med. 1962 Jan;56:12–26. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-56-1-12. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Tally F. P., Jacobus N. V., Bartlett J. G., Gorbach S. L. In vitro activity of penicillins against anaerobes. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1975 Apr;7(4):413–414. doi: 10.1128/aac.7.4.413. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Wells R. F., Cohen L. E., McNeill C. J. Letter: Clindamycin and pseudomembranous colitis. Lancet. 1974 Jan 12;1(7846):66–66. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)93067-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Wikins T. D., Holdeman L. V., Abramson I. J., Moore W. E. Standardized single-disc method for antibiotic susceptibility testing of anaerobic bacteria. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1972 Jun;1(6):451–459. doi: 10.1128/aac.1.6.451. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES